Making it on the big screen

In the first week after the release of a Michigan made movie, crowds in theaters are buzzing with anticipation at seeing their actor friends and family on the silver screen. Their appearances are often quick, grabbing one line here and there, maybe engaging a star in a few lines of banter, but frequently these on screen bursts are silent and fleeting. Regardless, as their on screen image comes to life, the crowd erupts in brief applause and another star is born in Michigan.

In year 2 of the film incentives, opportunities for Michigan talent are increasing in both the quantity and quality of roles. Compared to the inaugural year of the incentive, a significant number of films have auditioned Michigan talent for their principle and supporting roles in 2009, often casting over 20 principle roles and hiring up to 500 extras. Talent agency, the I GROUP has placed actors on all the Michigan based films including “The Irishman” with Val Kilmer, “Stone” with Robert DiNiro, ”Whip It” with Drew Barrymore, and “Up In The Air” with George Clooney. Two I GROUP exclusive actors, Emily Sutton Smith and Wallace Bridges, have combined to appear in almost every film cast in Michigan since the inception of the tax incentive. Together, their high level of professionalism, commitment to the craft, and a grounded perspective of the film industry has helped them survive the often demoralizing experience of auditioning.

Emily and Wallace both interweave self-confidence with faith when auditioning, recognizing that the decision making process is not personal…it’s business. As an actor in New York City, Emily found the auditions stressful and deprecating. Now, she combines the wisdom of that experience with the opportunity being granted the state as a whole: “I audition and give my best and know that if I don’t get the job that there’s a good likelihood that one of my Michigan colleagues will.”

For aspiring actors, who hope to mimic their success, Emily and Wallace recommend acting classes and to gain experience on movie sets as an extra. Both actors advocate being an extra because it enables aspiring actors to practice the art of observance and to learn the ins and outs of filmmaking. While Emily and Wallace both have extensive experience in professional theater they have had to learn a great deal on the set in order to accommodate the demands of film. For example, despite being a professor of theater at Eastern Michigan University, Wallace is still a student on the set, “the biggest thing I have learned about working in film and television is to tone it down, pull it in and throw it away.” This discipline to constantly analyze their development and to learn from the process is at the core of their success and a key ingredient for the increasing the opportunities being granted to Michigan talent.

What does the future hold for Michigan talent? Simply, as Michigan actors continue to fine tune their craft, Hollywood producers and directors will likely choose Michigan actors as featured performers in future productions. By establishing Michigan as a market with talented performers, films will be less inclined to hire talent from out of state and fly them here for filming. Instead, they will take full advantage of the wonderful actors we have here in our state and then just imagine how film audiences will cheer.

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